The U.S. presidential election is more than a year away. The campaign is in the stage of being personality-driven. This year, more than ever, the strongest, wildest comments get the most traction -- especially on the Republican side.

As Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrived in his personal helicopter to campaign at the Iowa State Fair, one youngster thought he was Batman. Trump might not be a superhero, but he is the Republican frontrunner who gets the most publicity because of what he says.

“If they came here and did that, we can still keep them together by packaging them up and sending them back,” said Carson.

Lichtman predicts that this year’s early frontrunners may not fall back in the face of establishment candidates like Jeb Bush.

“The smart money has said Donald Trump is a flash-in-the-pan, he’s going to fade away. The Republicans always nominate the establishment guy. That might not happen this year because the establishment guy, Jeb Bush, has run such a lackluster campaign," said Lichtman.

Lichtman said presidential campaigns eventually focus more on differences in policy – but that might not happen anytime soon since the Republican candidates don’t disagree on much.

Carolyn Presutti is an Emmy, Silver World Medal, AP Broadcaster’s Best of Show, and Clarion award-winning television correspondent who works out of VOA’s Washington headquarters. She has also won numerous TV, Radio, Multimedia, and Digital awards for her TV/Web coverage of Muslim Portraits, The Syrian Medical Crisis, Haiti, The Boston Marathon Bombing, Presidential Politics, The Southern Economy, Google Glass & Other Wearables, and the 9/11 Anniversary. Presutti was VOA’s Nathanson Scholar to the Aspen Institute and VOA’s delegate to the U.S. government’s Executive Leadership Program (ELP).